Organic Chemistry Lab

[premd]

At my school organic chemistry and organic chemistry lab can be taken separately. I was thinking about simply taking the lecture portion next year and saving the lab portion for later. Since I know that the MCAT tests some organic chemistry lab techniques, how important is organic chemistry lab to the MCAT?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[oxeye]

At my school organic chemistry and organic chemistry lab can be taken separately. I was thinking about simply taking the lecture portion next year and saving the lab portion for later. Since I know that the MCAT tests some organic chemistry lab techniques, how important is organic chemistry lab to the MCAT?

I haven't taken the lab yet and I took the test in April. It was easy enough to figure out what types of lab questions would be on the test by taking the AAMC practice tests. I got a feel for it from the practice tests and the chaper on it in Kaplan.

There's not a huge amount of O. Chem on the test anyway and even less is lab techniques so I wasn't too concerned. But I also took the test missing an entire semester of physics.

 

[MollyMalone]

It's not ideal to take the MCAT without, but that said, I took the it without having OChem lab and I did just fine. Just make sure you pay extra special attention to the review materials having to do with the lab type stuff (spectroscopy, especially).

 

[mychelle774]

I guess if you can understand the lab concepts without actually doing it then you're fine. I'm definitely more of a learn by doing person.

 

[mj1878]

I would say that you MIGHT get some Ochem lab material on the MCAT, such as:

1)What separation technique would be most appropriate to separate compounds X and Y?

2)Chromatography questions

3)NMR spectra questions, mass spec questions.

OCHEM lab is required as a prerequisite, however. It's specifically stated that it is required that you take Ochem WITH lab.